Opposed Waqf Bill as BJP plans to grab land: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray opposes Waqf Bill, accuses BJP of land grab, sparking internal party conflict.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stated on Thursday (April 3, 2025) that his party voted against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament to oppose the BJP-led Central government’s “plan to grab land” to benefit its “industrialist friends”. However, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back, calling the Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s stand against the Bill “biggest crime”.

Mr. Thackeray pointed to the BJP’s “hypocrisy” and called the speeches of the BJP MPs “sheer appeasement”. On the one hand, they made speeches appeasing Muslims while on the other, targeted parties that voted against it, he said. “If the Bill favours Muslims as per the speeches of the BJP and their alliance party leaders, and we are against the Bill, then how can they say we abandoned Hindutva? Who left Hindutva, the BJP or us?” the former Maharashtra Chief Minister asked. 

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on Wednesday, with 288 MPs in favour and 232 against. Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs voted against the Bill.

Without taking Mr. Shinde’s name, Mr. Thackeray said, “Gaddar [traitor] thinks we left Hindutva, so when Muslims were appeased, why was he part of the flattery? He should have left, saying, ‘this is unacceptable, as we are believers of Babasaheb Thackeray’.”

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Taking potshots at Union Ministers Amit Shah and Kiren Rijiju and MPs of the ruling National Democratic Alliance, Mr. Thackeray said, “Everyone spoke about the welfare of the Muslim women and poor... even Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, would be ashamed that he could not make such speeches.” 

Mr. Thackeray accused the BJP of playing a divide-and-rule game for political gains. He said when the Shiv Sena (then undivided) supported the dilution of Article 370, they had hoped that the Kashmiri Pandits would get their land back. “However, so many days and years have passed. Of those Kashmiri Pandits, how many received their land back?”